Safety roof control apparatus for continuous miner



K. E. CAINE Dec.' 4, 1956 SAFETY ROOF CONTROL APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS MINER Filed Aug. 23, 1954- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 d :UE

IIIIIIIIIII'/ INVENTOR KENNETH E. CAINE ATTORNEY K. E. CAINE Dec. 4, 1956 SAFETY ROOF CONTROL APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS MINER Filed Aug. 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llllllllllll/ lNvl-:NTQRl KENNETH E. CAINE '2% d. 222mm AiTORNEY SAFETY ROOF .CONTROL APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS MINER 'Kenneth E. Caine, Pittsburgh, Pa., assigner to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois l j Application August 23, 1954, Serial Nob/151,352 j z c1aims.f(cl. 26a- 34) This invention relates to improvements in mining vmachines and safety roof supportsftherefor, and more pariticularly'relates toa timber erecting androofcontrol means forming a part of and protecting a contnuousmin- -ing machine and theoperator thereof.

In the continuous mining of coal byjdislodging the coal Vfrom the solid by a rotary mining head,the-roof is usually supported jon cross timbers set by the timberm-anas the mining operationY progresses. Y

Due to space limitations it has not ,been possible for the timberman to setthe timbers along the machine a suicient distance in advance of the operator, vto protect the operator of the machine. Also, in the hand setting of timbers the timberman is working under unsupported roof and thelma'chine operator is only protected by the ,-irsttimber `which is usually just above or slightly in advance ofthe operator.

Under suoh timbering, if the, first timber-over the 4operator should not be lwell set or should not bev-heavy enough, a roof fall may take the Vtimber down onto-the .operator stopping usually `at -the second timber which is ,behind the operator.k `The operator as well as thetimberman `are thus subject to the danger of a roof fall when the timbers are sotrset.

In carryingfoutmy invention I Vprovide spacedpivoted ytimber erecting and'supporting armslfor elevating and supporting a timberwellpin advance ofthe operators station `andflifting the timber. under control of the opera- -torg into engagement with ythe mine roof until supported by the usual jacksfprops or thel like. The-timberman therefor@ need never expose. :himself to unsupported roof and the machine is protectedsufiiciently in advance of the operatorsstation, that when the roof falls and peels Y back toward Athe-operator the fall is stopped well in advance of the operators station.

A principal `object ofmy invention, "therefore, is to "provide `ajsafety roofsupport particularly adapted for a --'continuous miner, supporting-the roof suiciently in adl'variceof the operators station, tocheck theroof fall prior to'reaching theoperator. t

f unsupported roof.

Stillanother object of my invention is to provide a timber erecting and supporting means particularly. adapted for'continuous mining machines and including spaced pivoted elevating arms having timber carrying cradles at` ltheir free end`s,'in whichthe arms and cradles are so arranged that a timbermay readily `be slidably moved along the-top surfaces' thereof from the rear of the machine on to the cradles for lifting into engagement with Vthe mine roof. ,j Y

These and other objects of my invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds l "ice and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view inside elevation of a Vcontinuous mining machine having a timber erecting and Supporting means constructed in accordance with my invention incorporated as a part thereof; and

Figure 2 is ayfragmentary plan view of the' machine shown inFigure l. j l

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, I have shown a continuous mining machine of a well known form, having a main frame 10, supported on laterally spaced continuous'traction devices 11, with an operator-s station,12, ad-

jacent the rear end of said mainframe and having hydraulic controls 14 at the operators station for controlling operation of the machine.

The continuous mining machine may .be of a well known form including a mining element'partially shown by brokenv lines and indicated generally by referenceV character 16. The mining element is usually fed downwardly from the mine floor to the mine roof, tocut and dislodge a vertical swath coal forloading onto a conveyor l17 by a gathering element 19 in the usual manner. The mining element is likewise advanced and retractibly moved with respect to the main frame 1.0 during themining operation to feed the mining element into thecoal face and to withdraw it therefrom.

The timbererecting and supportingmeans asshown in the drawings comprises two parallel spaced timber elevatingbeams or arms 21, 21 extendingalong the top of the machine adjacent each side thereof from thefrear end portion of the main frame 10 to a position well ahead of the operators station 12. i p

Each arm orbeam Y21 isvshown asbeingin the form of an I beam and as having a transverse plate22 abutting its rear end and welded or otherwisefsecured thereto.`

Parallel spaced plates 23, 23 extend rearwardly from the plate 22 between opposite upright side walls of. ayoke24, extending upwardly from the rear upper portion ofthe main frame I0. A pivot pin 25 is provided to .piv0tall y connect the arm 21 tothe yoke 24. Y t

The free end of each arm 21 is shown as havingthe top flange ofthe beam cut away to forma recessed portion 26 for a cradle 27, pivotally connected to `said` arm as by a transverse pivot pin 29. 4The cradle127is shown Vas being inthe form of a plate 30 having :annpright flange 31 extending acrossthe advance end thereof and having ,spacedplates' 32 extending `downwardly therefrom along opposite sides ofthe web of the beam or arm 21.

The outer end'portion of the web of each arm. 21 .isshown as being beveled toward its outer end, as indicated by reference character 34 to accommodate saidcradle to-support a timber 35 thereon in a generallyhorizontal position in all positionsof elevation of said. arm. .The recessed portion 26 also enables the top surface ofl theplate 30 to be in alignment with the top lsurface ofthe arm V21 when the arrnZl.V is inthe lo-Wred'position shown. .An

luninterrupted surface isA thus provided along which the timber 35 may readily slidably move onto the cradles 27,

27. The pivot pin 29 is eccentric of the center. of the:

cradle 27 so that the weight of the cradle will bias the cradle into the position-shown in Figure l, when the arms` Y 21, 21 are in a horizontal position.

Each arm 21 and cradle 27 is raised-fand lowered` by a separate double actingcylinder and piston- 37 having a piston rod 39 extensible therefrom and extendingV j within the arm 21 and pivotally connected thereto asV by a pivot pin 4th. *Asherein shown, the web of each beam beam on opposite sides of the cutaway portion thereof Y to form a support for the ends'of the pivot pin 40.1

An ear 43 is shown as depending from the head end of cylinder 37 and as extending between opposite side walls of the yoke 44, and as being pivotally connected thereto as by a pivot pin 45.

Suitable iiuid connections Vmay be provided `to the head and piston rod ends of the two cylinders 37, and suitable valve means under the control of certain of the controls 14 at the operatorsI station may be provided to control the supply of uid under pressure to the cylinder 37 to lift the arms 21, 21 together and simultaneously lower said arms and also hold fluid under pressure in said cylinders to hold a timber 35 in supportingA engagement with the mine roof until jacks or posts have been set at the opposite ends of the timber 35. The valves, fluid pressure connections, and the pump and storage tank for supplying uid under pressure may all be a part of the continuous mining machine and may be of a conventional form and are no part of my present invention, so nee not herein be shown or described further.

During operation ofthe machine, a timber 35 may be placed on the arms 21, 21 adjacent the rear end thereof and may be slidably moved along said arms onto the cradles 27, 27. Fluid under pressure may then be admitted tothe head ends of the cylinders 37, for elevating the arms 21, 21l and lifting the timber 35 into supporting engagement with the'mine roof. The timber may then be held in supporting engagement with the mine roof by the holding of pressure in the head ends of the cylinders 37, the arms V21, 21 being sufliciently rigid to hold the timber 35 to support the roof until the jacks or posts have `been set at oppositelends of the timber.

Fluid under pressure 4may then be admitted to the piston rod ends of the cylinders 37, 37 to lower the arms 21,21- into the position Vshown in Figure 1 Vuntil the machine has advanced a suiiicient distance tomake it necessary Yto erect a next succeeding timber. When the arms are in the position shown in Figure 1, another timber may be placed thereon adjacent the rear end thereof and may berrslidably moved therealong onto the cradles 27,

v27 in position to be elevated into supporting engagement with the roof. l

It maybe seen from the foregoing that a novel and improved form of safety roof control or support means has been provided, forming a part of a continuous minmg machine and elevating and engaging roof supporting timbers with the roof a suiiicient distance in advance of 'the operators station of the machine to fully protect the operator. Y Y

It mayV further be seen that the arms 21, 21 may ele* vate the timber 35 and hold it in engagement with the minerot'if and that since said arms are suiciently strong to support the timber in engagement with the roof and support the roof Vin case of a fall that said arms form a protectionl'forthe timberman and make it unnecessary the scope of the novel concept thereof.

" I claim as my invention: Y Y

1. In a continuous mining machine having a mobile main frame and a mining head at the forward end thereof for mining coal in a continuous operation without shooting and having an operators station spaced rearwardly of said mining head, the improvements comprising safety means protecting the operators station from falling roof comprising a pivoted roof supporting arm pivoted to said main frame adjacent the rear end thereof and extending along the top yof said main frame a substantial distance in advance of said operators station and having an uninterrupted plain top surface accommodating a timber to be slidably moved therealong, cylinder and piston means connected between said main frame and arm intermediate the ends thereof for elevating said arm, anda timber carrying cradle freely pivoted to the free end of said arm eccentric of the center of said cradle, said cradle having a Vplate forming a continuation of the top surface of said arm and movable by gravity into position flush with the top surface of said arm when the arm is ina horizontal position and having a flange at the outer end thereof forming a stop for a timber, the eccentricity of said cradle mounting accommodatng said cradle to engage a timber with a mine roof in generally parallel relation with respect thereto and to conform to the plane of the roof when holding a timber in engagement therewith.

2. In a continuous mining machine having a mobile main frame and a mining head at the forward end thereof for mining coal in a continuous operation without shooting and having an operators station spaced rearwardly of said mining head, the improvement comprising safety means protecting vthe operators station from falling roof comprisingrtwo laterally spaced timber supporting arms extending along opposite sides of said main frame from the rear end thereof to a position well in advance of said operators station, means pivotally mounting said arms on said main frame adjacent the rear end thereof, individual cylinder and piston means pivotally connected between said main frame and arms intermediate the ends thereof for elevating and lowering said arms, said arms havingrecessedY portions at the forward ends thereof, and timber carrying cradles recessed within said recessed portions with ltheir top surfaces ush with the top surfaces of said arms and pivotally connected to said arms for supporting a timber in generally parallel Vrelation with respect to the mine roof during movement of said arms in a roof engaging direction, the pivot for said cradles being eccentric of the center thereof to eiect the positioning of said cradles parallel with the top surface of said associatedarms by gravity, when said arms are in a lowered position.

References Cited lin the tile of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,408,387 Y Gay et al. Y Oct. V1, 1946 2,463,772' Hunz Mar. 8, 1949 2,570,383 Russell Oct. 9, 1951 2,634,873 Tedrow Apr. 14, 1953 2,711,634 JoyY June 28, 1955 

